Trio of Clemson defenders bypassing NFL Draft guarantees another playoff berth
Clemson went to the College Football Playoff this year as the No. 1 team in the country, and with three players bypassing the 2018 NFL Draft, will be even better next year.
Something special is taking place at Clemson. We already know Dabo Swinney is building an elite football program that can compete with the likes of Alabama and Ohio State for national championships on an annual basis. Helping that cause in 2018 will be a trio of defensive linemen who bypassed the NFL Draft in order to return to school because they have unfinished business.
Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant could have all been first round picks in April’s draft but they turned down the guaranteed millions and beginning their dream of playing in the NFL in order to play for free for Swinney and Clemson.
Ferrell and Bryant made their intentions clear on Saturday night when they announced they’d return, with Wilkins making his decision on Monday, the final day underclassmen had to declare. The decision by Wilkins to return is the most shocking because he could have been the first of the three taken and a possible top-10 pick.
https://twitter.com/ClemsonFB/status/953025568374747140
It’s so rare for underclassmen rated this high by NFL evaluators to return to school. It’s even rarer for three of them to play for the same school and in the same position unit. The defensive line room is going to be loaded at Clemson next year with this trio returning and rising junior Dexter Lawrence the best of them all and a candidate to be the first overall pick.
Clemson was second in the nation in scoring defense and fourth in total defense last year but with these three as they entered the College Football Playoff as the top seed. They lost to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl semifinal game, which likely played a big factor in the three’s decision to return. They won a national title two years ago and they want to come back to win another one.
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I’m already penciling Clemson in the Playoff next year and with true freshman, Trevor Lawrence considered the nation’s top recruit, he could supplant Kelly Bryant at quarterback and fulfill the trio’s goals of winning a second national title in the last three years.
While this is tremendous news for Clemson football and their fans, it is a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators and offensive linemen tasked with trying to stop these guys. As great as Clemson’s defensive line was last year, there is room for improvement, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of college football.